About the Author

Antonino D'Ambrosio is the author of Let Fury Have the
Hour: The Punk Politics of Joe Strummer; the film version
directed by D'Ambrosio will be released in 2010. His most recent
film is No Free Lunch, starring comedian Lewis Black. His
writing appears in The Progressive, The Believer,
The Nation, among many others. D'Ambrosio is the
founder/executive director of La Lutta NMC. D'Ambrosio is currently
the artist-in-residence at the Center for Contemporary Arts in
Santa Fe, NM where he launched the multimedia film project La Terra
Promessa.

Reviews

Johnny Western, musician and longtime emcee of "The Johnny Cash
Show"
"Antonino D'Ambrosio has really done his homework like no one ever
before. I performed with Cash for 40 years and have read every book
written about him yet D'Ambrosio astonishingly reveals another side
of Cash framed around perhaps his most important work, "Bitter
Tears". "A Heartbeat and a Guitar" is a rare and extraordinary work
thanks to D'Ambrosio's exceptional and masterful storytelling. This
book must be read, not just by Cash fans, but everyone who loves
music and believes in its power and spirit. D'Ambrosio's work, like
Cash himself, is highly original and a force to be reckoned
with.

Jim Jarmusch, filmmaker
"This book is a truly fascinating journey, charting the historical
and social context of a courageous musical statement by one of our
greatest rebel voices. It has since been locked away in the 'denial
drawer' (aren't First Nations people just an extinct species,
systematically exterminated by European 'progress'?), but
D'Ambrosio admirably shines his investigative lantern into every
darkened corner, finally offering some greatly appreciated
illumination."

Howard Zinn
"Antonino D'Ambrosio's book on the making of Johnny Cash's album
"Bitter Tears" is much more than the story behind those
extraordinary songs. It is a rich history, not only of Johnny
Cash's life, but of the Indian struggle for justice, which inspired
Peter La Farge to write the song 'The Ballad of Ira Hayes' and Cash
to sing it. The book is full of fascinating character sketches of
the great folk singers of the Sixties, and their part in the social
movements of that exciting era. I believe D'Ambrosio has made an
important contribution to the cultural history of our time."Johnny Western, musician and longtime emcee of The Johnny Cash
Show
"Antonino D'Ambrosio has really done his homework like no one ever
before. I performed with Cash for 40 years and have read every book
written about him yet D'Ambrosio astonishingly reveals another side
of Cash framed around perhaps his most important work, Bitter
Tears. A Heartbeat and a Guitar is a rare and
extraordinary work thanks to D'Ambrosio's exceptional and masterful
storytelling. This book must be read, not just by Cash fans, but
everyone who loves music and believes in its power and spirit.
D'Ambrosio's work, like Cash himself, is highly original and a
force to be reckoned with.
Jim Jarmusch, filmmaker
"This book is a truly fascinating journey, charting the historical
and social context of a courageous musical statement by one of our
greatest rebel voices. It has since been locked away in the 'denial
drawer' (aren't First Nations people just an extinct species,
systematically exterminated by European 'progress'?), but
D'Ambrosio admirably shines his investigative lantern into every
darkened corner, finally offering some greatly appreciated
illumination."